I love having short hair. There’s never a moment I’m not grateful that I chopped off 10 inches 6 months ago. NOT A MOMENT.

However, I do find myself lacking for short hairstyle inspiration. I kind of have my go-to style (loose wand curls), but lately I’ve been wanting to mix it up! And I really want to share some fun styles with you because I honestly feel like there aren't enough short hair tutorials out there - we can’t all have Amber Fillerup locks!

So here’s a style I’ve been adapting into my routine lately - a side braid! This look is simple to do but adds a ton of interest. Here’s the how-to:

First, wash hair (duh!)
I used this color-safe shampoo and conditioner combo from CIBU, a new line of products by Hair Cuttery. I’m very picky with shampoos so I was thrilled with how my hair felt using both of these products. Plus they smell very salon-like, always a plus. It has an antioxidant-rich blend of Uji green, toni leaf, and silver needle tea extracts (and is sulfate and paraben free!)

Then I brush through my tangles with a Wet Brush - I used to use hard brushes and this has been such a revelation to me. They’re super cheap, under $15, do yourself a favor and order one!

Next, I put volumizing mouse on my roots and underneath my hair. My hair always end up falling flat when I blow dry au natural, so this is a game changer for me.

Finally, before I bust out my hair dryer, I spray some blowdry excelerator spray (also from CIBU) all over my hair. Luckily, my hair doesn’t take long to dry as-is, but I still felt like this sped up the process even more. It took me under 2 minutes to dry.

Then blow dry hair.

After it’s completely dry, I take a 3-5 inch section of my hair and braid it towards the back of my head.

Once braid is finished, start to tug at individual pieces in your braid. I usually start at the bottom of my braid and work up to the crown of my head. You’ll start to notice the braid starting to look thicker. Thin-haired girls rejoice!

Secure with bobby pins and spray with finishing spray! Viola! The cutest side braid for short hair!

This post was done in partnership with Hair Cuttery. All opinions are my own.